Consolations and Hangovers
by Joarine
Summary: Grissom wanted an annulment? Did he hear her right? He was almost expecting to hear her talk about Ecklie giving out sweets to the kids around the neighbourhood already... Sandles. Rated for safety. Hinted Yo!Bling, Nick/Wendy. Chapter 4 UP!
1. Chapter 1

Consolations and Hangovers – Chapter 01

_**Authors' Note: This is our first co-written CSI fanfic!**_

_**Rine: Two brains is always better than one, so we hope that by combining ideas and storylines, we can bring to you a better reading experience.**_

_**Reviews are ALWAYS welcome, even more so constructive criticism. Every word of encouragement will spur us on to create more words for everyone to enjoy. Without our readers/reviewers, creating a story would be absolutely meaningless. This is for you all!**_

_**Jo: Anyway, this fic will be mainly Sandles, with hints of Nick/Wendy with Yo!Bling. Set somewhere during season 10. IN OUR WORLD,WARRICK IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKING! **_

_**Plus, this is rather GSR-unfriendly. You have been warned. :D**_

_**Cheers to a successful fic.**_

_**DISCLAIMER: Nope, we don't own CSI. That's a shame. But we do own this plot.**_

* * *

CSI Sara Sidle headed towards the Las Vegas Police Department break room. Reaching her destination, she sat down on the couch with a sigh. The break room was empty, and it aptly described how she felt right now - lonely and empty inside. Running a hand through her hair, Sara's mind trailed back to this morning, when she had that meeting with Grissom.

_Grissom had returned to Las Vegas briefly, and it seemed he had something he needed to tell Sara. The pair were sitting in a cafe, paper cups in their hands, filled with freshly-brewed coffee. Grissom was fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable in his seat. Sara, trying to ignore the tension, held the paper cup to her nose, as the aroma from the coffee tingled her senses._

_Glancing at Grissom, she was glad to be able to see him again. It had been so long since she last saw him, and he hadn't called much either. Maybe they could catch up on things; she could tell him what was going on in the lab, with Raymond on the team now, and he could tell her how it's like being a lecturer all the way in Paris..._

"_Sara," he started._

_She looked at him. Grissom looked a little uneasy, as he turned to her._

"_I... I don't think this is working out." He stated, and looked at her. "Gil, what are you talking about?" Grissom sighed, and Sara wasn't sure she is going to like what she's about to hear._

"_Us. This... Our relationship. It isn't working out."_

_Sara froze, and just stared at him for a moment. Gil Grissom, what the hell are you talking about? _

"_I'm all the way in Paris, while you're all the way here in Vegas. We've just gotten married, and I'm not even around you," he continued, as Sara furrowed her brows. "I don't think we're up to this."_

_What is this? Who is this man sitting right in front of her? Wasn't it that long ago that they had decided to abandon the world for each other? A few months apart, and it is as if though he had morphed into an entirely different person..._

"_Nothing is impossible, Gil." Sara replied, her voice straining. "We can still keep in touch, can't we? Didn't this arrangement work before? We have tried this before, haven't we? We... we can talk on the phone more... I... I can go visit you in Paris..."_

_Grissom looked pained. "I know, Sara, but I feel that this... our marriage... I'm just not up to this." He paused. __"There's something I have to tell you."_

_The air in the cafe seemed to stand still. Grissom is still talking, his mouth moving, but Sara could barely hear him amid the sound of the whole world crushing in on her..._

"_I am sorry I have been leading you on all these years. And as you said when this first started, "Let's just see what happens", and I have let it gone too far. I never intended for this to go so... out of control... for _me_ to go out of control. I did sometimes think I truly love you, but this love... I finally realised, is only one between a student and a mentor..."_

"_This is my mistake, Sara. I... shouldn't have asked you to marry me in the first place. It's just that... after you were kidnapped... I felt that I had to be responsible for everything you went through. I felt I had to be responsible for _you_."_

_Her lungs seem to close up as she struggled to breathe._

"_And as I have said before, and I think I still feel the same, "I don't know what to do about this", or rather, about us."_

_He swallowed before he continued. "And besides... I already have someone else." _

_As if on cue, Heather Kessler breezes in through the door, her face showing no signs of surprise as her eyes settled upon Sara. Grissom took a deep breath as he took Lady Heather's hand in his._

"_Maybe we could settle for an annulment?"_

She couldn't really remember what happened next, somehow she had gotten out of that cafe still alive, and wounded up back in the lab.

Usually she wasn't the teary kind, but somehow she couldn't stop tears from stinging her eyes, as she stared hard down at the ground. She felt as if though someone had ripped her heart right out of her chest, and had mutilated it beyond repair...

At that moment, fellow CSI Greg Sanders poked his head into the room. "Hey Sar," the former lab technician greeted the brunette, breaking her train of thoughts. His voice caused Sara to hurriedly blink away those tears, afraid of others seeing this vulnerable side of her that she rarely ever shows anyone.

She looked up at him as he flashed a smile in her direction. Although Sara would have preferred to have been left alone to sort out her thoughts, she was silently grateful that she had Greg's company, and she returned the gesture with a small smile of her own.

Greg asked, as he now made to stand in the doorway, "How was it? Did Grissom say when he'd be back again?" Sara stiffened. Pursing her lips, she wondered if Greg could read her mind.

"You don't look too good," Greg continued, while Sara didn't reply. "You okay?"

"Yeah... I guess..." It was followed by a slightly uncomfortable pause, as Sara struggled not to let tears overwhelm her.

"Something's not right," Greg answered. "You... you don't have to lie, you know."

"No," Sara said, as she finally gave in, tears started streaming down her cheeks. "I... I'm _not_ okay."

Greg walked into the room now, somewhat shocked at seeing her reaction. He sat down beside Sara, putting an arm around her, and pulled her close to him in a warm embrace. He remained silent, and didn't question why she was acting like this all of a sudden. He knew she wouldn't like anyone to bug her about it.

He had just seen her before she went off for her break. She was still all smiles then, as she happily announced she would be meeting up with Grissom at the cafe nearby. He had expected to see Sara sashaying back to the lab, with a wide smile on her glowing face, her eyes lit up in eagerness as she shared with the others in the lab how Grissom was doing in Paris, but instead, she was here, sobbing in his arms, seemingly heartbroken, without any trace of joy written on her face. _What was wrong now?_

"He wanted an annulment..." Sara started. Greg looked at her, a little surprised that she would want to talk about it. "He said we weren't working out... He said we weren't up to this..."

Greg's eyes widened slightly. _Grissom wanted an annulment? Did he hear her right?_ He was almost expecting to hear her talk about Ecklie giving out sweets to the kids around the neighbourhood already.

"He said it was his mistake to have married me," she continued, sniffling. "Our love... it was only of student and mentor...? And there was _Heather Kessler_..."

Greg could fit the pieces of information together and got the whole picture – _Grissom broke up with her._

"I can't believe this... I did so much for him_..._"

"You don't have to continue on about it if you don't want to, Sara," Greg said, knowing that Sara felt suffocated inside. Sara nodded, tears continuing to flow.

Greg removed his arm from her shoulder. He held her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumb, as he looked into her eyes.

"You're gonna be okay, Sara," he said. "You're gonna be okay."

_**

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**_

Authors' Note: That's chapter one. How is it? Sorry if it seems short. Please leave a review!

_**Chapter two – coming up! There'll be more Sandles, and it'll be less angsty. Don't worry. (:**_


	2. Chapter 2

Consolations and Hangovers – Chapter 02

**_A/N: Chapter two is here. Please enjoy. In this chapter, you will see the appearance of the other CSIs..._**

**_Thanks to those who put this story as their favourites or alerts: xWho-Wouldn't-Waver-With-Jackx, and AutumnDoe. It's very much appreciated. (:_**

**_Disclaimer: Nah, we don't own 'em._**

* * *

"I'm fine now, Greg,"

Greg looked at Sara with concern in his eyes. "Are you sure? Don't put up a tough front." Sara nodded, and breathed heavily, wiping away the final tears from her eyes. "I'm really okay. Just... please, don't tell anyone... yet..."

Greg smiled. "I won't. Don't worry," he reassured her as he pulled her into a warm hug. He wanted to protect her, and he had that gut feeling telling him that there was a chance for him to prove himself after all. Sara returned the gesture.

As he pulled away, he finally saw her smile.

"But you look like you have a cold or something," he said, his hands still on her shoulders. "What are you gonna tell the rest?"

Sara smirked. "Well, then take it that I do have one."

Greg's smile broadened. "I'll send you home," he said. She looked up at those words. "You'll need it."

Sara's smile widened slightly. After all, her house was quite some distance away from the LVPD, and he was willing to go to all the trouble to send her home. "Thanks, Greg… For everything..." she said. "You're really sweet," She really did appreciate what he was trying to do for her, and her reply was of genuine affection.

Greg laughed. "I'm _always_ sweet," Sara chuckled at his attempts to lighten up the atmosphere. "I get the point, Greggo," she said. "I'll need to grab something in my locker first, though." Greg nodded. "Let's go." He stood up from the couch and extended a hand for Sara, and smiling softly, she took it and he pulled her up from her seat. The duo headed towards the locker rooms, Sara somewhat unconsciously still holding onto his hand, and Greg not minding the contact at all.

They only broke contact when Sara reached her locker, with Greg standing right beside her. Nick ambled into the locker room whistling, a wide smile plastered onto his face, as he opened his own locker.

"What made you so happy?" Greg asked. Nick grinned smugly.

"Let's just say things are going _pretty_ well for me." Nick paused as he turned around and looked at Sara. "You okay, Sara? You look like you've got a cold."

"I do," Sara replied quickly, and sniffled, while exchanging looks with Greg. She raised an eyebrow and closed her locker. "Anyway, stop trying to change the subject. You got a date with someone?" She asked, attempting to rake out for more details. Nick's grin, if possible, grew even wider, but he didn't say anything.

"We'll assume it's a 'yes' then," Greg concluded, slapping him on the back. "Nice one."

"Hey, you good to go?"

Wendy entered the locker room. "Oh, uh, hey guys," she greeted hesitantly, and Nick's eyes darted from Wendy, then over to Greg and Sara, both of them knowing who that 'someone' was immediately. Wendy, noticing Nick's glances, also looked to Greg and Sara.

"Uhh, yeah, just... give me a second," Nick replied and he fumbled in his locker, before closing it abruptly.

"Both of you hitting it off now huh?" Greg chided, smirking. A similar smirk crossed Sara's face. Nick and Wendy exchanged glances, and both smiled sheepishly. "We're just... having dinner. As friends," Wendy answered, with Nick nodding in agreement. "Yeah, yeah... so don't take it the wrong way!" Nick said, as he and Wendy exited.

Greg called out to them, "You know, the both of you don't have to hide it!" Nick turned around sharply, and mouthed silent curses at Greg, before turning back to exit the LVPD.

Sara stared after them enviously. How she wished she could be as happy as them. She was, until barely an hour ago...

"Who doesn't have to hide what?" Warrick questioned as he strolled into the locker room.

"You'll have to ask Nicky about that," Greg responded, leaving a rather confused Warrick behind as he left the room with Sara.

"Who's hiding what?" Catherine asked casually as she walked past Warrick with Raymond in her wake. Warrick shrugged. "I guess we should ask Nick about that."

* * *

"C'mon. You'll drive." Sara said to Greg, once they reached her vehicle. In response, he shot her a curious look.

"I thought you always drove?" Greg asked. Sara smirked. "I know. I'm just tired... You know... Anyway, you don't like being the gentleman? Just this once?" Greg laughed. "Of course not; I can be a gentleman to _you_," Sara's smirk was replaced with a smile, and she flushed slightly, hoping that Greg wouldn't notice. Greg glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and his own one widened. The CSIs got into Sara's SUV.

There was a slight pause. Greg spoke up. "It's still early. Got any plans?"

"Nope."

"You wanna... get a beer?"

Remembering vaguely what Catherine once told her, her lips arced slightly into a small smile. "Drive."

Greg grinned widely, and promptly started the engine, driving away from the police department. Both CSIs sat in rather comfortable silence, as they drove toward their destination.

* * *

"Thanks," Greg said to the bartender as he set down two glasses of vodka in front of the pair.

Sara took a sip from her glass. Setting it down on the surface of the table, she looked into the glass, still holding onto it. A sad smile crossed her face.

"You know," she started. "I really, really envy Nick and Wendy."

Greg didn't say anything, and merely waited for her to continue. Of course she was envious. He knew that. He was rather envious, too. But it hurt him to see her like this – broken and hurt. She took another drink from her glass, which was now nearly empty.

"They look so happy together... Things are going well between Cath and Warrick too... I don't know... I though Grissom and I could be happy too, the day we were married... It hurts so much..." she said. She downed the rest of the vodka. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"

He knew she was pouring out all her sorrows, and letting the hurt overwhelm her, as she gave in to all the heartbreak she had suffered. He knew she shouldn't resolve to such methods of distracting herself from the pain, but he couldn't bring himself to stop her. Greg remained silent, watching the brunette down the next glass of vodka, and another, and another...

"...I'm just... not good with guys, huh?"

How many shots had she had? Greg had already lost count. She was definitely tipsy already – her cheeks were red, and she was getting unfocused.

"What's wrong...? I mean, it's not like I swing the other way... Or... is it because I'm not attractive enough? Is that it...? Is that it, Greg...?"

"No," Greg replied. "Of course not." He meant that with all his heart. How can she be _not_ attractive? Greg thought she was, of course. That was one of the reasons he had harboured such a huge crush on her for such a long time.

A smirk crossed her face, though it totally contradicted the tears evident in her eyes. "You don't have to say that, Greg... I know," she answered.

Greg watched as she looked back into her glass, still smirking. "You've got to stop soon, Sara," he reminded her. "This isn't good for you."

Sara stopped in her tracks, as she was prepared to bring the glass to her lips. She set it down, almost as if what he said made her snap out of her drunken state.

"I'm sorry, Greg," she said.

"You don't need to be."

She flashed a broad smile at him now. Her smile soon fell, as she put a hand to her head.

"You know, I don't feel too good..." she mumbled.

"You need to go home," Greg announced, placing the money for the shots they (well, mostly she) had, and helped her out from the bar chair.

"C'mon. Let's go..."

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_**Well, that's chapter two. Reviews are very much appreciated. Please, please review!**_

**_Chapter 3 will be out... hopefully soon enough._**


	3. Chapter 3

Consolations and Hangovers – Chapter 03

_**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the long wait; school is very tight here. Please understand! **_

_**Thanks to all those who reviewed/faved/put on alert: **__**Demonwolfe**__**, **__**isis70**__**, **__**Bunzall**__**, **__**nikhel4eva**__**, **__**reblchild**__** and **__**the**__**mischievous**__**pixie**__**. Very much appreciated! **_

_**Okay, on to the story.**_

_**Jo.**_

* * *

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as the Tahoe pulled into the driveway of Greg's apartment block. Although he would have brought her back to her own house, Greg's house was far nearer. Besides, Sara needed a rest. _Boy, was she gonna have such a bad hangover after this_. She could barely make it to the SUV back at the bar without Greg's help.

Sara's eyes were half-closed; she was probably unconscious of where they were. Her face was flushed too, but not out of embarrassment. She noticed that the vehicle had come to a halt, and she lifted her head, looking at Greg.

"Where are we?"

"My place," Greg answered. "You'll need a break here."

"Oh… Your place… Hey, haven't I been here before…?"

Greg got out of the driver's seat, and walked around the front of the car to the passenger seat, where Sara was seated. She attempted to get out of the SUV by herself as she opened the door of her vehicle, but failed terribly. Sara slung an arm around his shoulder, and he put a hand on her waist. Getting better support, she managed to get out of the Tahoe. He was lucky she wasn't heavy.

Stumbling slightly, the duo managed to head towards the apartment block, with Greg miraculously managing to shut the door of the car and lock the SUV in the process.

Both of them managed to get into the lift of the apartment block.

Sara put a hand to her mouth immediately, as she threatened to throw up right there and then, as Greg grimaced. He noticed they were dangerously close to each other, as she unknowingly leant in closer to him. He felt his cheeks redden, as he glanced down at her.

The lift doors finally opened, and they came out of the lift. Greg fished in his pocket for those house keys buried somewhere in his pocket, one hand still holding Sara. She was still groggy, as they made their way into the apartment.

Greg let go of her, as she immediately staggered to the bathroom in the master bedroom. How she knew the exact way to his bathroom in her drunken state, he didn't know.

He followed after her into the bathroom. She was kneeling in front of the toilet bowl, clutching it, and was vomiting into it. Letting go of the toilet bowl, she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She slid against the wall into a squatting position, and leant her head against the wall sighing.

Greg entered the bathroom, and squatted beside her.

"You want some aspirin?"

Sara shook her head. She shut her eyes, and then proceeded to throw up again. When she was (finally) done, she reached for the handle of the flush. Pulling it, she said to Greg, "Get me out of here." Greg didn't respond; he grabbed her by the arms, and helped her out of the bathroom, and into the room.

She broke herself free from his grasp. He raised an eyebrow, as she turned to him. She was seriously in danger of collapsing there and then; it wasn't a wise idea for her to be standing so much while she was so drunk.

"Don't you want to sit or something…?"

She shook her head. She tilted her head to one side, as she gazed at him.

"No, I'm alright."

She then took a step closer to him. They were barely a few inches apart now.

Greg held his breath, and without breaking any eye-contact, she slid her arms around his neck, leaning into him, sending shivers down his spine in the process.

_Okay, what was she doing now?_

"I could really, really just kiss you right now."

"Really?" he asked, flushing now.

"I guess I regretted it the last time round," she replied, smiling now.

"Well, I regretted it too," he answered, a grin creeping up onto his face now. "You… you still remember?"

"Of course."

He remembered the disappointment that settled upon him nearly nine years ago. Was he going to feel that same rush of disappointment again?

Before he knew it, she leant in fully, pressing her lips to his.

He was taken by surprise, but he didn't stop her. His heart raced.

_Sara Sidle was kissing him. _

He did not expect this to happen under a circumstance like this at all. This was not premeditated. Sure, he admitted that he _had_ pictured kissing her before, but it was definitely not in this fashion; this was entirely different - she was drunk, and adding to that, she was on the rebound.

But somehow, he found himself responding to it, as he put an arm around her waist, the other on her back, and he was pulling her closer to him, deepening the kiss.

_God, what am I doing?, _he thought to himself. He knew he shouldn't be kissing her back, but he just couldn't help it. To Greg, the kiss seemed to last forever.

Then Sara broke the lip contact. Her eyes were wide, but beneath them, they exuded certainty and confidence. A split second later, however, the truth seemed to dawn upon her, as the certainty that was in her eyes almost totally vanished from her eyes, and they were replaced with uneasiness instead. The confidence was gone too, and replaced with guilt and remorse, as a tear found its way out of her eye.

"I know I shouldn't be doing this," she said. "I feel so guilty… I don't know how to face him when I see him next time."

Greg didn't know what to say. He was afraid that he may say the wrong thing. Pursing his lips, he firmly, but gently all the same, gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. She smiled slightly in thanks, but then it faltered, as she nearly lost her balance.

"Sar? You okay?" he asked, after grabbing her by her arms, and helping her onto his bed, where she collapsed on.

She didn't reply. She wasn't moving, but she was definitely breathing, and very much alive, Greg concluded.

"And you said you were all right…" he stated aloud. She wasn't sober enough to hear him, though.

_Okay, what just happened?_

He watched her unconscious form. Part of Greg was disappointed from the loss of contact. He wanted it to continue on longer, and wanted it not to stop. He _has_ had a huge crush on her for forever. He had never told anyone, but even after Sara got married, he still had some feelings for her. And yes, he knew that it wasn't exactly righteous…

Another part felt guilty. He shouldn't have kissed her back. He knew she wouldn't have kissed him if she was sober... She was merely seeking comfort. Why did he play along with her? It'd only hurt her even more. Plus, he didn't know how he was going to face Grissom either if he ever sees him again…

And then there was yet another part that was positively relieved. What would happen if it had progressed into something more…?

He didn't even want to think about it. He would have _a lot _of explaining to do…

_**

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**_

That's it for chapter 3. Sorry it's so short!

_**Chapter 4 will be out soon. Anyway, leave a review! (It'd be appreciated.)**_

_**- Jo**_


	4. Chapter 4

Consolations and Hangovers – Chapter 04

_**Enjoy. (:**_

* * *

Sara blinked open her eyes, as pain shot through her skull. _Okay, my head hurts like hell_, she thought wearily, as she tried to sit up on the bed she was on.

What the hell happened?

She only remembered bits and pieces of the previous day. She met up with Grissom. He wanted an annulment. Tears stung her eyes, as she recalled. Then somehow she met up with Greg back at the lab. And then they went to a bar, after shift. And it seemed like she drank. A lot.

And she also remembered kissing Greg.

_Shit._

Glancing down at herself (in reflex), she was still wearing her own clothes from last night, thankfully. She guessed that it was a good thing; hopefully nothing occurred between them, or else she'd have a hard time explaining to everyone else if they found out.

She managed to get up from the bed, and found a mirror somewhere on the wall, attempting to tame her hair. She then realised it was close to eight in the morning, as she picked up her wristwatch and cellphone from the bedside table.

_Where was she?_

She observed her surroundings.

The room was quite nicely furnished; it had a wooden-framed bed, with pale blue bed sheets, sitting in the middle of it. A desk was right beside the bed, and posters adorned the walls of the room. The windows on the wall, complete with cream-coloured curtains hanging above it, was near the bed. It allowed sunlight to filter in pretty well, and bathed the room in a golden glow.

She was probably in Greg's apartment, and she had to admit, if this _was _Greg's room, she was surprised that it was pretty neat, not to mention cosy. She sighed, as it dawned upon her; how was she to hide the fact that she's still upset about the meeting with Grissom? She didn't know whether she could hide it well enough or not...

But anyway, as much as she wanted to continue sleeping (her hangover was _so_ egging her to do so), she had to figure out what in the world had happened first...

"Greg?"

He looked behind him, and found her standing in the entrance of his kitchen, looking absolutely lethargic, and she was still clad in the clothes from last night. He was standing over the stove, preparing some breakfast. On the countertop beside him were two plates of food, and two glasses of what seemed like milk. (She was still pretty groggy.)

"Hey," he greeted. "Uh… you feeling any better?"

Sara pressed a hand to her head.

"Not really," she answered. "Uh... how did I get here last night?"

"You were drunk," he said, and reached into the cabinet above him for a glass and some aspirin. "I brought you here."

"Thanks," she said, forcing a smile. It hid, and absolutely contradicted, how she felt right now. She didn't want her mood to affect Greg's. "Anyway, what's cooking? Something smells good," she peered into the pan that was over the stove, as Greg poured some water into the glass.

"Just some eggs and bacon."

She nodded, unsure of what to say, afraid that she may suddenly break down. Her gaze turned to the plate of bacon on top of the counter. "Thanks for the breakfast," she said, as she leant against the table near her, in what was supposed to be a casual fashion, and proceeded to down the aspirin. "Is it good? I don't want food poisoning to go with my hangover."

"My cooking isn't that bad," he retorted, putting two eggs into each plate agitatedly and maybe a little violently. "But anyway… Food poisoning and a hangover? Nasty combination."

"Yeah..." She was relieved that Greg didn't seem to realise that she was still feeling distressed and unsettled inside.

There was a short pause, before Greg spoke up.

"There you go again," he said, putting down the plates. She looked up at him, her smile faltering. "I told you that you don't have to lie. I can see through you, you know."

"Wha…? What are you talking about?" she asked, avoiding his gaze. Did he know how to read minds or what?

"You know what I'm talking about, Sar." Greg stated. "You're still upset. I know."

"I…" she started, setting her glass down. She then gave up trying to avoid what he was getting at, and nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry… I… I didn't want to spoil your mood."

"It's okay," he replied, moving towards her to hug her. "You have to forget about the incident; bury it deep inside your mind. I know it'll be hard, but you have me."

She smiled, this time genuinely, and clung onto him tightly and gratefully, as tears started flowing, for there was someone like him who was able to hold her, and to console her, when she was going through such a painful time. She never knew that Greg could be so dependable. His hug also seemed to give her some strength to face the issue; she definitely felt braver. After all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

She nodded. "I'll try to forget about it…" she said, breaking the hug, and wiping away her tears hastily. "I… I promise. Let's pretend it never happened… Deal?"

Greg gave her a reassuring smile. "Deal."

It was his job now, to help her. To pretend that the meeting with Grissom never took place, and that everything was okay. She made a promise, now it was Greg's turn make one.

Greg then paused. "Okay… So then, do you remember?" She probably forgot about what happened _after_ she got drunk. It wouldn't hurt to ask. Anyway, the issue was light-hearted – that would lighten up the atmosphere too, and at least make her smile more.

She raised an eyebrow. "What?" Any trace of distress was gone now. Even if there was any of it remaining, it was entirely concealed, and it was as if nothing had happened… Like Sara totally shifted from one state to another. Greg preferred this state of her, of course.

"You remember anything?" he continued, putting the plates on the dining table. "About yesterday…?"

She bit her lower lip. "I… I do."

Greg flushed; okay, she _did_ remember. "Really…?"

"Uh huh," she answered, starting to blush madly. "I was… out of my mind, yesterday," she said sheepishly.

Greg sat down on a chair, Sara doing the same. She hesitated a little.

"We didn't do anything, right…?"

"We didn't," Greg replied. "Uh… we _almost_ did. I think. I mean, you started it."

"Well," she started, fidgeting slightly. "It was on impulse… After… you know…" she trailed off. Greg understood; she was on the rebound. He truly did. He didn't know how he should show it, though.

"I understand, Sar… I do," he said.

"Thank you," she said, now looking down at the floor. "And… what I did was stupid… I know."

"Huh… Glad you do," he replied, grinning slightly, and she looked up at him, a similar grin on her face. She was finally in a better mood. That's a relief.

"You know, this is surprisingly good," she said, as she ate the food.

Greg grinned. "Of course," he said. "Don't underestimate me."

She laughed. "I didn't see you as the cooking type, though. No one would've guessed."

He scoffed. "Other than aspiring to become a rock star, I wanted to be a chef when I was younger, you know."

Sara smirked. "Oh really?"

Then, her cellphone rang. She mouthed an apology to Greg, and answered the call.

"Sidle."

"_Hey," _the voice over the phone said. "_You okay? Nick called your home. You weren't there." _

"Wha…? Oh, uh… of course I'm okay, Cath… I, uh… spent the night at a friend's house…" she swapped glances with Greg, as she said this.

"_Okay... Anyway, we've got new leads on that multiple homicide,_" Catherine informed her. "_You'll need to come back soon."_

"Got it, Cath. I'll be there soon."

"_Oh, and contact Greg for me, will you? I couldn't get to him all morning. We'll need extra manpower."_

"Sure," she said, and hung up.

Greg observed her, as he set his fork down. "Uh… You're going back to the lab now?"

"No, _we_ are going back to the lab."

He shrugged. "Okay... I assume we're going over together?"

"Of course we are," she answered. "My car's back at the PD… But the others may start speculating when we arrive together."

Greg grinned, and glanced at the ground before looking back up at her. "I don't care, actually," he said. "You?"

"Huh… Me neither."

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Okay. Chapter 5 will come out soon enough….

_**Leave a review! (:**_


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